In Her Shadow

Borrowed Words

Chapter Five:

Chloe’s POV

The day Gianna told me her plan, I thought I’d misheard her.

“You want me to...what?” I asked, my voice shaking with disbelief.

“Go on the date as me,” she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I stared at her, my stomach churning. We were in her room, the air thick with her floral perfume and the faint buzz of music from her speaker. She sat cross-legged on her bed, looking completely unbothered while my world tilted on its axis.

“That’s insane,” I said, shaking my head. “Skyler’s not an i***t, Gianna. He’ll know it’s me the second I open my mouth.”

“Which is why you’ll make sure he doesn’t,” she said, her smile as sharp as the edge of a knife. “I need this date to go perfectly, Chloe. And let’s face it—I don’t know half the stuff he’s into. You do.”

“That’s not my problem,” I snapped, crossing my arms.

“It is now,” she said, standing up and towering over me like she always did when she wanted something. “Unless you want me telling Skyler about your diary.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My chest tightened, the air suddenly too thin.

“You wouldn’t,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Her smirk widened. “Oh, but I would. So what’s it going to be? Help me, or let the whole pack find out what you really think of him?”

I clenched my fists, hating her in that moment more than I ever thought possible. But I couldn’t risk it. The diary wasn’t just about Skyler—it was about everything. My insecurities, my fears, the secret I couldn’t bear for anyone to know.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But I’m not pretending to be you. Skyler will figure it out, and then your precious plan will backfire.”

Gianna rolled her eyes. “Then you’ll come along and help me from the sidelines. I’ll wear an earpiece, and you’ll feed me everything I need to say. Problem solved.”

My heart sank, the weight of her words pressing down on me like a stone. “Do I even have a choice?”

“Nope,” she said cheerfully, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Now go get ready. I’ll pick you up at six.”

---

That night, I found myself crouched behind a hedge outside the café where Gianna’s date with Skyler was taking place. The small black earpiece pressed uncomfortably into my ear, and I adjusted it for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Can you hear me?” Gianna’s voice crackled through the earpiece, sharp and impatient.

“Unfortunately,” I muttered under my breath.

“Good. Keep it that way,” she said before hanging up.

I peered through the leaves, my heart sinking as I spotted them at a corner table. Gianna was all smiles, her golden hair catching the light like some kind of halo. Skyler was leaning forward, his blue eyes focused on her, and my chest tightened painfully.

I didn’t want to be here. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, to leave them to their perfect little date and never look back. But I couldn’t. Not with Gianna’s threat hanging over me like a guillotine.

---

“Okay, Chloe,” Gianna’s voice buzzed in my ear. “What does he mean by ‘compression ratio’? He’s talking about his stupid dirt bike again.”

I sighed, pressing my forehead against the cool bark of the tree I was hiding behind. “It’s the ratio of the volume in the cylinder before and after the piston compresses it,” I whispered, my voice flat.

“Ugh, that sounds boring. Can you dumb it down for me?”

I clenched my teeth. “Just say, ‘That’s so cool. Is it hard to adjust?’”

“Got it,” she said, and I watched as she repeated my words, her voice light and sweet.

Skyler smiled, leaning back in his chair as he launched into an explanation. Gianna nodded along, her expression just the right mix of interest and admiration.

My stomach twisted as I listened, every word a reminder of how much this hurt.

Skyler was so much more than Gianna deserved. He was kind, smart, and funny in a way that felt effortless. He wasn’t perfect—he could be stubborn and impulsive—but he cared. He noticed the little things about people, like how I always tapped my fingers when I was nervous or how I preferred quiet over crowds.

And now, he was falling for a version of Gianna that didn’t exist.

---

“Chloe, what do I say now?” Gianna hissed, breaking into my thoughts.

I looked up, watching as Skyler gestured toward the sky, probably talking about camping or hiking—two of his favorite things.

“Ask him what his favorite camping trip was,” I said quietly.

Gianna did as I instructed, and Skyler’s face lit up as he started telling her about the time we’d gotten caught in a thunderstorm on the ridge.

“That was terrifying,” he said, laughing. “But Chloe kept her cool the whole time. She even figured out how to rig up a shelter with just a tarp and some rope. It was pretty amazing.”

My heart skipped a beat, a flicker of warmth breaking through the cold ache in my chest.

“Oh, really?” Gianna said, her voice dripping with feigned interest. “She never told me that.”

“Yeah, Chloe’s full of surprises,” Skyler said, his smile softening.

I ducked lower behind the hedge, my face burning.

---

By the time the date ended, I was emotionally drained. Gianna strutted out of the café, her heels clicking against the pavement as she made her way to the car.

“That went perfectly,” she said as I climbed into the passenger seat. “He’s totally hooked.”

“Great,” I muttered, staring out the window.

“Aw, don’t be like that,” she said, her tone mockingly sweet. “You should be happy for me. I mean, it’s not like you ever had a chance with him anyway.”

The words cut deeper than I expected, and I swallowed hard, refusing to let her see how much it hurt.

“Whatever you say, Gianna,” I said quietly.

As we drove back to the packhouse, I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window, my thoughts swirling.

I was tired of this—of being the one who always had to give. But what choice did I have? Gianna had the upper hand, and she knew it.

For now, all I could do was endure.

----

The late afternoon sun streamed through my bedroom window as I sifted through the clutter on my desk, my heart pounding harder with every passing second.

It wasn’t here.

I shoved aside a pile of books, then rummaged through the drawers, my breath coming faster. “No, no, no…” I muttered under my breath, panic rising in my chest like a tidal wave.

My diary was gone.

I froze, gripping the edge of the desk as my mind raced. I always kept it tucked away, hidden beneath a false bottom in the drawer. The one place I thought was safe.

But it wasn’t.

And I already knew who had taken it.

The door slammed open behind me, and I spun around, finding Riley standing in the doorway.

“Chloe, what’s—” He stopped mid-sentence when he saw my face. “What happened?”

“She took it,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Riley frowned. “Who? Gianna?”

I nodded, my fists clenching at my sides. “She took my diary.”

Riley swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “But I’m going to find her.”

Without waiting for his reply, I brushed past him and headed downstairs, my heart pounding like a drum.

---

I found her in the living room, lounging on the couch like she didn’t have a care in the world. She looked up when I walked in, her smirk already in place.

“Looking for something?” she asked sweetly, twirling a strand of her golden hair around her finger.

“You know I am,” I said, my voice low and steady, though my hands were shaking. “Give it back, Gianna.”

She sighed dramatically, setting her phone aside and standing up. “Fine. No need to get all worked up.”

She strolled over to the coffee table, where my diary sat in plain view. My stomach twisted at the sight of it, my most private thoughts out in the open like that.

Gianna picked it up and held it out to me, but the look in her eyes made my blood run cold.

“Here,” she said, her tone almost mocking. “Take it. It’s not like I needed the original anyway.”

I snatched the diary from her hands, clutching it tightly against my chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She smiled, leaning in close. “It means I made copies, Chloe. Just in case you were thinking about going against me.”

The room tilted, and I took a step back, struggling to process her words. “You... you made copies?”

“Of course,” she said with a shrug. “I mean, what if you decided to stop helping me? I needed some insurance.”

I stared at her, my chest heaving as a storm of emotions raged inside me—anger, humiliation, fear.

“You’re unbelievable,” I said, my voice shaking.

“And you’re predictable,” she said, crossing her arms. “Face it, Chloe. You can’t win. You’ll do what I say, or everyone finds out.”

My throat tightened, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. She had me cornered, and she knew it.

Gianna smirked, brushing past me on her way to the stairs. “Oh, and don’t worry—I only read the *juicy* parts.”

I spun around, my fists clenched. “You had no right—”

“I have every right,” she interrupted, turning to face me. “You’re the one who’s always playing the martyr. Maybe it’s time you learned that being nice doesn’t get you anywhere.”

She didn’t wait for a reply, disappearing up the stairs with her hair swishing behind her.

I sank onto the couch, clutching the diary to my chest as tears burned behind my eyes.

She had copies.

All my secrets, my private thoughts—everything. She held them like a weapon, ready to strike if I stepped out of line.

I opened the diary with trembling hands, skimming through the familiar pages. There it was, in my own handwriting—my feelings for Skyler, my fears, my insecurities. And the one secret I couldn’t let anyone know.

If Skyler ever found out…

A sob escaped me, and I pressed my hand over my mouth to muffle it.

I had no choice now. Gianna had all the power. And I hated her for it.